Nearly 500 pounds collide as Adam Klapka and Curtis Douglas fight in NHL showdown
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Cimon Asselin
Mar 28, 2026 (10:49 PM)
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Photo credit: Sportsnet
Adam Klapka and head coach Ryan Huska watched a heavyweight clash with Curtis Douglas end flat despite rare size on the ice.
This one stood out before the first punch. Two towering frames, both well over 6-foot-8, circling at center ice.
Klapka came in at 6.08 and 235 pounds. Douglas? Even bigger at 6.09 and 242 pounds.
That's nearly 500 pounds squared off, blades digging in, both players measuring distance.
Gloves dropped at 04:17 of the first period, right after Calgary had already built a 2-0 lead.
It felt like a momentum play. A message shift. Something to wake up both benches.
But it never got there.
Size was there, impact wasn't
Klapka threw a couple short rights, trying to get inside that long reach. Douglas stayed patient, keeping space with his frame.
Most of the fight turned into a tie-up. Jerseys stretched, arms locked, neither guy landing anything clean.
Linesmen stepped in quickly. No damage. No clear winner.
Both players picked up 5 penalty minutes, and that was the end of it.
For two players built like that, you expect more separation. More pushback. Something that carries over to the next shift.
Instead, the game just moved on.
Calgary didn't need a spark anyway. They already had control early, and that scrap didn't change deployment or energy on the bench.
Klapka went back to his regular role in the bottom six. Same usage, same minutes, no bump from the coaching staff.
That's where these moments matter. If you're going to drop the gloves, it has to tilt something.
Douglas didn't shift the tone either. Vancouver stayed quiet, no push in response.
In a league that's getting faster, these heavyweight fights have a smaller window to matter.
This one? Big size, short impact.
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